2013 TX68
2013 TX68 is an Apollo asteroid and near-Earth object discovered on 6 October 2013 by the Catalina Sky Survey, during which it was near a close approach of 5.4 Lunar distances (LD) from the Earth. The asteroid only has a 10-day observation arc which makes long-term predictions of its position less certain. It was observed for three days as it approached Earth in the night sky starting with the sixth of October, 2013. Then it became unobservable by being between the Earth and the Sun, then not recovered due to its small size and dimness. Precovery images by Pan-STARRS from 29 September 2013 were announced on 11 February 2016 that extended the observation arc to 10 days. It was removed from the Sentry Risk Table on 11 February 2016, so there is no risk of impact from this object for the next hundred years or more. The asteroid was last observed on 9 October 2013.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Catalina Sky Survey (703) |
| Discovery date | 6 October 2013 |
| Designations | |
Minor planet category |
|
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 5 October 2013 (JD 2456570.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 8 | |
| Observation arc | 10 days (last seen 2013) |
| Aphelion | 2.5730 AU (384.92 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 0.74447 AU (111.371 Gm) |
Semi-major axis | 1.6587 AU (248.14 Gm) |
| Eccentricity | 0.55118 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 2.14 yr (780.31 d) |
Mean anomaly | 334.34° |
Mean motion | 0° 27m 40.86s / day |
| Inclination | 1.1092° |
Longitude of ascending node | 165.741° |
| 286.977° | |
| Earth MOID | 1.70448×10−5 AU (2.54987×103 km) |
| Mercury MOID | 0.43841 |
| Venus MOID | 0.03407 AU |
| Mars MOID | 0.00715 |
| Jupiter MOID | 2.66285 AU (398.357 Gm) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 21-52 meters (69–171 ft) |
| 25.2 | |